Hunting knife and bushcraft knife in one?

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Whisper21

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Jun 11, 2013
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I'm looking for a 6+" knife that is strong enough to split logs, but can do the precise cutting that a hunting knife should do. What is the ultimate compromise?
 
6" is a lot of blade when you're field dressing an animal, but with the proper grip, it can be quite effective. For fine cutting with a longer blade, put the lanyard up over your forearm for support of the handle and hold the knife by the spine to work your cuts.

I'd recommend you look at the Becker BK10 and the ESEE 6. You could also commission a custom of of a knifemaker here. I'm sure there are plenty who could do well with those criteria.
 
Just me, but I'd have a hard time with a 6"+ knife for precision. I used to love a big blade, now I'm partial to a 4 to 5" blade for bushcraft and hunting. I love my Entrek Javalina for an all around workhorse.
 
Not quite 6 inches but the swamp rat ratmandu would do nicely. Whatever you choose though, send it to a custom maker to have the edge thinned. Every knife I've come across in that size range has had an edge way too thick for bushcraft or food prep. Most come with a "I want to bash my knife through a cinder block" edge.
 
Shotgun said:
Not quite 6 inches but the swamp rat ratmandu would do nicely. Whatever you choose though, send it to a custom maker to have the edge thinned. Every knife I've come across in that size range has had an edge way too thick for bushcraft or food prep. Most come with a "I want to bash my knife through a cinder block" edge.
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Will that thinned out edge stand up to log splitting?
 
Shotgun said:
Every knife I've come across in that size range has had an edge way too thick for bushcraft or food prep.
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I think a lot of us ooh and ahh over a massive blade, but then the pain sets in. It weighs too much and cuts too poorly and is harder to sharpen to a decent slicing edge. So thinning it out is a good idea.

After all, it is easier to thin out a thick blade than to thicken up a thin one! :)

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I moved this from General Knife Discussion to Outdoor Gear, Survival Equipment & More. We might find more thin slicer enthusiasts here. How about a Becker tweener? Big old blade shapes but cut down to a more compact package.
 
Either of the Becker tweeners would be a good option.
My preference is the bk15...
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My girlfriend prefers the bk16...
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I've long thought Knives of Alaska have that covered rather well. Grippy handle, D2 steel at good hardness for superior edge retention, and not too thick. Still big enough to do a bunch of other stuff with for quite a while before needing to go ax. I've never had one but they do strike me as things that are more professional user than poseur inclined.
 
Whisper21 said:
I'm looking for a 6+" knife that is strong enough to split logs, but can do the precise cutting that a hunting knife should do. What is the ultimate compromise?
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Clarification - are you talking about a 6+" blade, or a 6+" knife?

If it's the former, I don't know of a knife with a 6+" blade that would be my preference for game dressing, even for big game. Could you find one that might work? Sure. But it wouldn't be what I would particularly choose to use. I find that a blade around 4" is plenty, and even then I like to have a smaller blade with me as well for the finer detail work.

Now, if you're talking about an overall knife that is 6+" - then I think you have a lot of options to choose from. The Bark River Canadian Special and Fox River are both great choices that will perform very well as a hunting blade, and for general camp/craft tasks. I would also look at the Blind Horse Brumby and Woodsman Pro. But there are tons of other options in this size range as well, the previous are just knives that I have personal experience with and really like.
 
Smithhammer said:
Clarification - are you talking about a 6+" blade, or a 6+" knife?

If it's the former, I don't know of a knife with a 6+" blade that would be my preference for game dressing, even for big game. Could you find one that might work? Sure. But it wouldn't be what I would particularly choose to use. I find that a blade around 4" is plenty, and even then I like to have a smaller blade with me as well for the finer detail work.

Now, if you're talking about an overall knife that is 6+" - then I think you have a lot of options to choose from. The Bark River Canadian Special and Fox River are both great choices that will perform very well as a hunting blade, and for general camp/craft tasks. I would also look at the Blind Horse Brumby and Woodsman Pro. But there are tons of other options in this size range as well, the previous are just knives that I have personal experience with and really like.
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I mean a 6"+ blade. This is a compromise knife, but the blades on hunting knives are often 6"+ anyways. The Becker BK15 looks great, but it seems to be on the thin side for chopping.
 
Whisper21 said:
I mean a 6"+ blade. This is a compromise knife, but the blades on hunting knives are often 6"+ anyways. The Becker BK15 looks great, but it seems to be on the thin side for chopping.
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What do you plan on chopping with a 6" knife?
 
I wouldn't even consider using a 6"+ knife for hunting. Sometimes I think my 4" blade knives are overkill but that's the maximum I would use. However, I'm used to deer hunting. What kind of hunting are you talking about?
 
The difficulty with 6" blades is that they're going to have a thick spine @ 1/4" since they'll be designed more for hard use plus a blade edge to spine width of 1 1/2" pretty big for fine work of game dressing.........the few that had been mentioned BK10 and Esee 6 though 1 1/2" wide blade at least thin out to 3/16" with the spine.........and don't forget the weight issue with a 6" blade....................if I had to compromise it would be with the length and drop to a 5" blade with a thicker spine..the Dozier Wilderness would fit 5" blade, 3/16" thick and 1 1/16th blade height...a good all around camp/game knife....


Capitalized Living beat me to my other idea which is also a great all around knife thicker spine and height less than 1 1/4"
 
I don't own this knife, but I know that the Tops B.O.B is great! Watch the BladeHQ field test for it.
 
I don't see a 6" blade doing a good job on small game.... or cutting out the tenderloins of a buck. With all the people splitting logs with an Izula, you'd think a 4" blade would be the right compromise. I guess, I might keep a slip joint for the small game stuff, If I was going to carry a big knife.
 
Woodrow F Call said:
I don't see a 6" blade doing a good job on small game.... or cutting out the tenderloins of a buck.
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Well said!


But, I suppose everybody is different. I'm still interested in what the OP intends on hunting. That may help determine a blade that could work.
 
6" is not a compromise. That's a pretty full size blade and would not be any good for hunting. 5" would be more of a compromise. I use to be like you and straighted off by buying 6+ inch blades, now I prefer 4-5" blades.

1x Fallniven SK6 6.25 inch
2x Bravo 1 3V 4.25inch
1x Gruhnman #3 Boat Knife 4inchish
Sold my Sog Tech Bowie which was another 6.25 inch knife.
 
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